Prevalence of dental caries and associated risk factors among people living with HIV/ AIDS and HIV uninfected adults at an HIV clinic in Kigali, Rwanda

Abstract

Background Dental caries is among the most frequent oral conditions in People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). There is a lack of baseline information on dental caries prevalence and associated risk factors among PLWHA in comparison to HIV uninfected people in Rwanda. Objective This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of dental caries and associated risk factors among PLWHA and HIV uninfected adults at an HIV clinic of Kigali Teaching Hospital (CHUK) in Kigali, Rwanda. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 PLWHA and 200 HIV uninfected adults aged 18 years and above attending an HIV clinic of CHUK. An oral examination was performed by a calibrated examiner. Dental caries were assessed using the WHO Decayed (D), Missing (M), and Filled Teeth (F) index (DMFT). Descriptive statistics, Chisquare, t-tests, and multiple binary logistic regression were used to analyze data. Results Overall, a higher prevalence (50.5%) of PLWHA had experienced dental caries (DMFT>0) compared to HIV uninfected counterparts (40.5%) (p = 0.045).